Million Dollar Arm (A. R. Rahman)
Walt Disney Records€ Million Dollar Arm soundtrack features music composed and performed by two-time Academy Award-winning composer A. R. Rahman, the soundtrack includes collaborations with Australian hip-hop artist Iggy Azalea, Grammy-nominated rapper Wale and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. Described by Variety as a €œjubilant wall-to-wall song score,€ Rahman has created a powerful and driving sound that blends classic Indian styles and instruments with rap, rock and electronica delivering a celebratory soundscape to America€s favorite sport.
"I€m excited to share with music fans some unusual collaborations with Iggy Azalea, Wale, and KT Tunstall on the music in Million Dollar Arm,€ said Academy Award-winning composer A. R. Rahman. €œThe soundtrack we created together truly captures the beautiful culture and energy behind the film€" reminding us all how important it is to be open to new possibilities in life. The word Disney always brings a smile to me. I hope this soundtrack and movie stay blessed in many ways.€Â
A true artist who has redefined contemporary Indian music, A. R. Rahman is an icon in the world of cinematic scoring. Hailed by TIME magazine as the €œMozart of Madras,€ Rahman has helped redefine contemporary Indian music. He has sold more than 150 million albums comprising of music from more than 100 film soundtracks and albums across over half a dozen languages, including landmark scores such as €œRoja,€ €œBombay,€ €œDilse,€ €œTaal,€ €œLagaan,€ €œVandemataram€ and more recently, €œJodhaa Akbar,€ €œDelhi 6,€ €œSlumdog Millionaire,€ €œ127 Hours,€ €œCouples Retreat€ and €œPeople Like Us" to name a few.
Overall, Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two Grammys, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. He has also won 25 Filmfare Awards, 3 MTV Awards, 4 IIFA Awards, 6 Tamil Nadu State Awards, 6 Zee Awards, and 4 Screen Awards.
Based on a true story, sports agent JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) finds that business has changed and things aren€t going well for his career. In a last ditch effort to save his livelihood he concocts a scheme to find baseball€s next great pitching ace. Hoping to find a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a major league baseball star, JB travels to India to produce a reality show competition called €œThe Million Dollar Arm.€ With the help of cantankerous but eagle-eyed retired baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin), he discovers Dinesh (played by Madhur Mittal from €œSlumdog Millionaire€Â) and Rinku (played by Suraj Sharma from €œLife of Pi€Â), two 18-year-old boys who have no idea about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. Hoping to sign them to major league contracts and make a quick buck, JB brings the boys home to America to train. While the Americans are definitely out of their element in India, the boys, who have never left their rural villages, are equally challenged when they come to the States. As the boys learn the finer points of baseball, JB, with the help of his charming friend Brenda (Lake Bell) learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.
Directed by Craig Gillespie from a screenplay written by Tom McCarthy, Disney€s drama €œMillion Dollar Arm€ stars Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, Suraj Sharma, Lake Bell and Alan Arkin. The producers are Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray and Joe Roth. The executive producers are Palak Patel, Kevin Halloran, Bill Simmons and Connor Schell.